1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a light-emitting diode (LED) package, in particular, to an LED package having an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection function and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Related Art
The LEDs formed by a semiconductor material of element compounds are light-emitting components of a wide bandgap, which may emit light covering all spectrum ranges. Since the increasingly improved light-emitting efficiency of the LEDs, the LEDs have gradually replaced fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps in some fields, for example, in the fields of the backlight sources of the LCDs or the common illumination devices. Moreover, the LEDs have the advantages of preferred light-emitting efficiency and additionally a small volume, low power consumption, and a long lifespan, so the LEDs have been widely used in the home appliance, computer and its peripheral products, or communication products.
It should be noted that although the LEDs have the above advantages, the LEDs are usually damaged due to the abnormal voltage or electrostatic discharge (ESD). Therefore, U.S. patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,072 B2 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,522 B1 have disclosed disposing a Zener diode on an LED in a parallel connection manner. In this manner, under the normal operating voltage, the LED is forward biased to function normally. However, when an abnormal voltage or an electrostatic voltage is produced, the over-high voltage may discharge through the Zener diode operating in the breakdown region. Therefore, the LED is protected from being damaged.